turkey virgin

From personal experience, forgetting the bags that they put the extra bits in will not ruin the bird.

Frozen birds usually come with a pop up thermometer and twine lifters. Let it sit in the fridge for a few days, then rinse off.

It will cook faster if you don't put stuffing in it...I just add some sage, rum, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a stick of semi-melted butter and baste the whole thing with it. Then I put foil on it, and let it go for 3/4 the cooking time. Then I take off the foil, baste it, and let it roast uncovered the rest of the time.

The key to gravy is to add extra spices, and use cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Add the cornstarch water while whisking briskly over low heat. Add a little chicken broth if it needs thinning and whisk that in. You can let the pan sit for a few minutes after you remove the bird and skim off the fat and big bits of skin. Then just sit the whole pan on the burner and add the cornstarch water and spices.

Tofurky or Turducken anyone?

How about Tofurky? You can carve it into a little turkey shape for each guest, marinate and roast it. Tastes like chicken!

Actually, I have to second the Alton Brown method, the only drawback being where you actually brine the thing in the first place. My DH did it last year and I didn't find out until later that he used the cooler I keep in my car for groceries. We watched some friends do the deep fry method. Problem was, they didn't thaw the bird enough. It was so cold when it was dropped in the oil the whole works just fountained out. Lucky they had the good sense to have it outside and were standing away and using a stick. (don't eeeven ask) We, on the other hand, were hiding in the house.

Did anyone see the zip code article in Nat. Geographic about the Turduckens? I swear these looked far worse than any dermatological condition I've seen in the books. If you didn't, let me explane:

so, you take a chicken, nicely stuffed with herbs etc. and you take that chicken and stuff it into a duck.
Then, you take that duck and stuff IT into a big ol' Turkey.
Then you cook the whole darn thing together for a supposedly 'tasty to beat all' dinner.

So I guess you would then take you sweet potatoes, stuff them into your onions, stuff those into your potatoes, stuff that into your beats.......

Re: Tofurky or Turducken anyone?

Did anyone see the zip code article in Nat. Geographic about the Turduckens? I swear these looked far worse than any dermatological condition I've seen in the books. If you didn't, let me explane:

so, you take a chicken, nicely stuffed with herbs etc. and you take that chicken and stuff it into a duck.
Then, you take that duck and stuff IT into a big ol' Turkey.
Then you cook the whole darn thing together for a supposedly 'tasty to beat all' dinner.

So I guess you would then take you sweet potatoes, stuff them into your onions, stuff those into your potatoes, stuff that into your beats.......

I've been fortunate enough not to encounter this myself, but my cousin did at her first family function with her then-boyfriend (now husband). She called me simply horrified and certain she'd eaten something raw b/c she didn't want to offend his parents.

[SueC]

Re: Tofurky or Turducken anyone?

Did anyone see the zip code article in Nat. Geographic about the Turduckens? I swear these looked far worse than any dermatological condition I've seen in the books. If you didn't, let me explane:

so, you take a chicken, nicely stuffed with herbs etc. and you take that chicken and stuff it into a duck.
Then, you take that duck and stuff IT into a big ol' Turkey.
Then you cook the whole darn thing together for a supposedly 'tasty to beat all' dinner.

So I guess you would then take you sweet potatoes, stuff them into your onions, stuff those into your potatoes, stuff that into your beats.......

I've been fortunate enough not to encounter this myself, but my cousin did at her first family function with her then-boyfriend (now husband). She called me simply horrified and certain she'd eaten something raw b/c she didn't want to offend his parents.

I swear, reading that makes me want to vomit!

I hope the duck and chicken are at least partially cooked beforehand .

[Amiens]

Good luck! I like the recipe in Best Recipe (Cook's Illustrated). I have used it for the last 4 years, and it turns out great every time.
I brine it, and then while it's roasting, it gets rotated every so often to ensure even cooking- it's the moistest and most flavorful bird we have ever eaten.

Hope T-day goes well for you.

Crystal

We had a problem one year with brining because I think our salt to water ratio was off. I love the bag idea! Does the skin get crispy though or is the turkey more steamed than baked? I think we are going to try to roast a chicken first and see how it comes out. I'm also going to try and do as much as possible in advance...ha ha ha.

[Vanquisher]

I love the bag idea! Does the skin get crispy though or is the turkey more steamed than baked?

No the skin doesn't really get crispy, but we don't really eat the skin. The turkey gets carved up into slices. I wouldn't say it is steamed, but maybe a combination of roasted and steamed. I just don't want to worry about basting and all of the beforehand prep. The bag, I think, is the easiest method. Just pop it in the oven and get it out when done.

[houseelf]

well...after all this, I'm contemplating giving my turkey ( a17 pounder) away to a family I know that *really* needs it and buying a breast for our little family. Now, I'm just sort of embarrassed about starting this thread...

Kelly

Don't be embarassed -- it's interesting to hear everyone's turkey stories. I especially enjoyed Laura's about her parents and the gravy.

I have decided to brine this year, although our T-giving plans are now up in the air. We'll probably still do a turkey and dinner even if it isn't on Friday (so we can have everything exactly how we like it ).

I tried a bag last night with a 5 pound chicken. It was very easy but the bird didn't look all that appetizing. It did taste good though. Just FYI...

And BTW, DH is getting a free turkey from a local farm for attending a presentation at a local nursing home. Pretty cool!

[SueC]

I might have to order one of those turkeys Annie! My dad always smoked a turkey for Thankgsviging when I was a kid--we're hosting my mil this year and I'm not sure I want to bother tackling cooking the turkey myself. I've done it before, and it is a little empowering, but it's also a little bit of work.

[Rapunzel]

Hmmm.... I think I'm going to order one of those birds, too. And, maybe send one to my parents. After reading about them they really sound good! My parents drive south of Dallas to Corsicana every year where this little bakery turns a pretty profit making fruitcakes (they're really good - and I HATE fruitcake so that's saying a lot). They apparently ship them all over the place. Sounds like the same business concept.

Anyway, the smoked turkeys sound good.

Jennifer

[houseelf]

Hey, thanks everybody! My turkey breast turned out really great! I appreciate your help...It wasn't that hard! Really, even a domestic clutz like me could do it.

Now that I have my confidence up....I'm contemplating rib roast or ham for Christmas. Again, I'm a ham and rib roast virgin. Help?

Kelly